Tips for voting early, by mail, on Election Day

How to make voting fast, easy and error-free

There's one more week of early voting and the deadline to request a ballot to vote by mail is a few days away. Election Day is Nov. 2.

EARLY VOTING: Registered voters can cast ballots at 13 sites in Broward and 10 locations in Palm Beach County. Registered voters can go to any of the early voting sites in the county where they live.

The rule is different for Election Day on Nov. 2, when people must vote at specified neighborhood polling places.

Broward's early voting sites are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Palm Beach County's locations operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There is no early voting on Nov. 1, the day before Election Day.

MAIL (ABSENTEE) VOTING: Voters don't need a reason to vote absentee. Absentee ballots can be requested through Wednesday -- although waiting that long may make it difficult to get the ballot in the mail and have it returned by the Nov. 2 deadline.

Be sure to follow the instructions. Elections supervisors in Broward and Palm Beach counties say voters sometimes forget to sign the outside of the ballot envelope, which means the voter can't be verified and the ballot isn't counted.

Absentee ballots must be back at the county elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 2. Postmarks don't count.

To request an absentee ballot, voters can call or go online to the supervisor of elections office in the county where they live.

VOTING TIPS: To make sure your vote counts, mark the ballot exactly the way the instructions specify. If you don't, it might not scan correctly and might not get counted.

And, make sure you've voted in every race you want to participate in. That means turn the ballot over to make sure there are no contests on the other side.

Once you turn in your paper ballot and it goes into the scanner, it's too late to make any changes.

TIPS FOR EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY VOTING: Bring photo identification that includes a signature.

Besides a state-issued driver's license or ID card, other accepted forms include passports, debit or credit cards with photos, and identification for members of the military, students, retirement centers, neighborhood associations or public assistance. If the photo ID does not contain the voter's signature, another piece of identification with a signature is required.

A voter information card, known by many as a voter registration card, is not required.

You're allowed to bring a marked sample ballot, palm card, or other information into the polling place to help you remember your choices. That makes voting go much faster.

ELECTION INFO: To get mail (absentee) ballots or for answers to questions about early voting, absentee voting, and elections they are eligible to vote in, voters can call or go online.